SHANMUGAM IAS ACADEMY

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

China, Taiwan hold historic talks

In
a major breakthrough, China and Taiwan on Tuesday held their first high-level
talks since they split 65 years ago after a brutal civil war to deepen mutual trust being built
with initiatives during the last few years.

Taiwan's mainland affairs chief Wang Yu-chi
held talks on the first day of a four-day trip with the State Council Taiwan
Affairs Office head Zhang Zhijun in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing.

The
meeting was the result of years of gradual efforts to improve political ties. Wang's visit is considered as an important
breakthrough in promoting cross-Strait relations on the basis of adhering to
the "1992 consensus" and deepening mutual political trust,
China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. "Both sides should make up our minds to
never let cross-strait relations again become tormented and never go
backward," Zhang was quoted as saying in the report.

"I
believe that as long as we walk on the right road of peaceful development we
should and certainly can get closer in the future." Beijing follows one China policy under which
Taiwan, which separated in 1949, was regarded as part of the mainland. After decades ofhostilities, the two sides
warmed during the past few years with a host ofinitiatives including improving
trade relations. Before his departure from Taiwan, Wang told local media that
he hopes to improve understanding and exchange views with his mainland
counterpart.